The food specialties of the Hokuriku Region
Noto wagyu
@Japan Experience
Japan’s geography is often associated with two major features: the jagged peaks of rolling mountain ranges and the pristine waters of deep blue oceans. The region of Hokuriku, located among the Japanese Alp mountain range and on the coast of the Japan Sea, is defined by these landmarks, and its this surrounding nature that blesses the region with some of the country’s most celebrated food specialties.
While Hokuriku may not garner as much attention as destinations like Tokyo, Kyoto, or Osaka, for foodies who are guided by their pursuit for their next great meal, a food tour around the region is a worthwhile journey.
Hokuriku is made up of the prefectures of Ishikawa, Fukui, Toyama, and Niigata. Each shares strong geographical similarities, and, thus, delicious seafood and high-quality agriculture are constant throughout. However, each prefecture has a distinct food culture of its own that is reflective of the people and culture.
Food specialties of Ishikawa Prefecture
Ishikawa is one of the most diverse prefectures in all of Japan. It’s capital, Kanazawa, is an elegant boutique city with a rich art culture, history, and great shopping. A bit to the west, however, one of Japan’s treasured holy mountains, Hakusan, looms over onsen-rich valleys and rivers. Jutting out into the sea, the Noto Peninsula is home to small towns on picturesque seacoasts and rural plains.
Delicious food can be found throughout the prefecture, but the most ubiquitous and well-known delicacy in Ishikawa is that of nodoguro. Known as “blackthroat seaperch” in English, this deep-water fish is lauded for its flaky, fatty, and flavorful white flesh. It is a delicacy at high-end sushi and seafood restaurants not just in Ishikawa but throughout the country, often lightly broiled on top, allowing for a smokey savoriness to compliment the buttery, rich flavors of the meat. The fish is known as such due to its stark black throat that is seen when the fish’s mouth is agape. The name means the same thing in the native Japanese. Nodoguro can be had in a number of restaurants in Kanazawa, with a number of shops and restaurants serving it at the famous Omicho Fish Market located in the city’s center.
Grilled whole nodoguro from Ishikawa
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A seafood bowl with nodoguro on top
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Seared nodoguro nigiri
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A bit further down the Hokuriku Shinkansen, Kaga Onsen is another popular spot within Ishikawa Prefecture. As the name suggests, it is well-known for its thermally heated onsen hot spring towns that are great for relaxing. During winter, these hot springs are great for relaxing and also a great way to stay warm during the colder months in Kaga is a warm cup of its famous boucha. Kaga-boucha is a type of hojicha, or roasted green tea. “Bou” in this context means “stick,” and it is dubbed so because the tea is derived from the stems of the tea plant and has an elongated shape. Kaga-boucha is very aromatic and earthy with a bit of natural sweetness. This strong combination of flavors also makes Kaga-boucha great as a latte as well as straight!
Deviating from central Ishikawa, one of the most recognizable locations in the prefecture is the Noto Peninsula, and at times, it can feel like a whole world apart from Kanazawa and even Kaga. Surrounded by water on three sides, the seafood in this area is naturally delicious, with oysters and fugu puffer fish being particularly beloved by the locals. However, in the last few years, the wagyu from the peninsula, dubbed Noto Wagyu, has garnered a lot of attention. Indeed, the wide open fields of this largely rural location allow for great cattle raising. As with most wagyu, the marbling for Noto Wagyu is impeccable. It’s largely praised for not having too heavy an aftertaste with good balance in its flavor.
Noto wagyu
@Japan Experience
Food specialties of Fukui Prefecture
In 2023, the Hokuriku Shinkansen was extended out to past Kanazawa, going out to stations like Kaga and Komatsu in Ishikawa and going all the way out to Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture. With this, foodies looking to go out from the metropolitan Tokyo can easily come out to one of the most coast-rich prefectures in the country. The shores of Fukui are defined by rolling cliffs with far-reaching seas, and with it, some phenomenal seafood.
For many, the first thing to come to mind when talking about Fukui’s food culture is crab, specifically, Echizen Crab. Echizen crabs are largely sourced from the waters around Echizen Town and are a type of snow crab notable for its delicate and sweet meat. The delicacy is so treasured in this area that there is even a specialized crab museum that houses the crabs as well as providing information about the biology of crustaceans and other sealife. Echizen crabs are specifically the male snowcrab and are the only crab in Japan that is deemed suitable enough to serve to the royal family for special occasions! There are multiple dishes that the crabs are served as, be it raw as sashimi or as a hot pot. A decadent way to enjoy the crabs is to have their meat dipped into the head in what is called “kani miso.”
Echizen Crabs from Fukui
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Afterwards, dashi broth is often poured into the head to make a delicious soup! These crabs are especially sought for and said to be most delicious in winter.
Also a bounty from the waters of Fukui are mackerel, known as saba in Japanese. With their distinct striped pattern and shimmering blue and silver coloration, they are as much a treat to look at as they are to eat. Obama City (a city that grew in fame following the election of U.S. President Barack Obama in 2008) in Fukui is particularly known for saba, and here, they tend to prepare relatively simply. The waters around Obama are rich in nutrients and are prominent plankton breeding grounds, an ideal diet for plump and savory saba to feast. Rich in flavor and meaty in texture, Obama saba seldom needs more than salty along with proper technique over a charcoal grill. The bounty of saba from here is so historically beloved that it has a historic trade route named after it.
Grilled saba from Obama, Fukui
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The Sabakaido, or “Mackerel Road,” connected the ancient capital of Kyoto to Fukui, specifically to collect delicious fish.
Of course, there is more than just seafood that draws appreciators of good food to Fukui. For those wanting a savory, meaty, and umami-filled treat, Fukui’s signature Sauce Katsudon checks all the marks. There are multiple versions of sauce katsudon in Fukui, but the most distinct one is where pork tenderloin is flattened and then fried thin, then placed on top of a bowl of rice and drenched with a sweet and salty sauce. The dish is a mainstay of casual dining in Fukui and is served at countless restaurants throughout the prefecture, especially at soba restaurants where the two are often ate together. For a great meal that will fill you up, this is definitely a must-try in Fukui!
Sauce katsudon in Fukui
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Food specialties of Toyama Prefecture
One of the most defining geographic landmarks in Hokuriku is the distinctive inlet bay that the prefectures are centered around. Right at the base of this bay, and from where the bay gets its name, is Toyama Prefecture. The name “Toyama” translates to “rich mountain,” and it lives up to such a moniker, with Mount Tateyama and its accompanying mountain range cutting through and surrounding its cities and towns. On the other side of these mountains, the waters of Toyama Bay shimmer, and these two relate to one another in a way that provides the deep waters of the bay with some of the richest seafood in the world. The glaciers near the mountain peaks actually melt and then flow into the bay, making the water superbly cold, nutrient-rich, and ideal for high-quality seafood. Without a doubt, Toyama’s distinctive geography directly influences its food culture.
A signature item from this prefecture and its waters is shiroebi, or glass shrimp. These small shrimp can actually only be legally commercially fished for in Toyama Bay, as it is here that they are in enough abundance for such. As the name implies, they have a soft white coloration that is almost translucent. Relatively small, they are served in bundles and provide a very rich and silky texture with delicate and sweet meat. Shiroebi can be prepared in a number of ways, such as deep-fried with the shell on with a great rich flavor that is balanced with the natural sweetness of the shrimp, or deshelled and served raw as gunkan nigiri sushi. Atop the rice, the glistening white coloration almost blends in with freshly cooked sushi rice.
Toyama shiroebi with karasumi
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Also famous in the Toyama Bay waters is what is usually known as “yellowtail” in English, but given a variety of names within Toyama. Depending on the size, the name of the yellowtail differs, with the largest and fattiest called buri. Going down in size, they are called gando, fukuragi, and then kozukura at their smallest. In other parts of Japan and the world, this fish is more commonly known as “hamachi.” The yellowtail from around the quaint fishing town of Himi is especially renowned, often shipped and served not just within different sushi restaurants in Japan but in world-class establishments around the world! Despite the flesh being relatively pail, the flavor is rich with a great bite that smoothes out as you chew. In Toyama, during winter, the buri is at its fattest and often served in a “burishabu,” where slices of the fish are quickly simmered in broth then dipped in zesty ponzu sauce or other accompaniments! The fish is also fantastic grilled, the collar portions (burikama) being particularly meaty and delicious.
For something a bit more salt of the earth (pun intended), Toyama has its own signature type of ramen. “Black ramen” is so called from its deeply colored broth, and the flavor reflects its appearance. Toyama Black Ramen is an umami-rich and salty noodle dish. It was originally developed to accompany the lunches of workers within Toyama who would have rice with their meals. The pungent saltiness of the soup is well-balanced with white rice, and such practices are still common today. Many will eat the noodles and then finish their meal with white rice eaten or poured into the broth itself. For those not used to such strong flavors, many restaurants throughout Toyama will serve a version with a broth not as strong as the classic rendition. Ramen restaurant “Menpachi” in Imizu City, not too far away from central Toyama City, is a local-beloved establishment and a great place to try this unique noodle dish.
Toyama Black Ramen
@flickr/ Kanesue
Food specialties of Niigata
Going up the Japan Sea Coast from Toyama brings travelers to Niigata, a prefecture that is often grouped in with different regions of Japan. Depending on the person and context, Niigata can be part of Hokuriku and sometimes Tohoku but always part of the greater Chubu Region, whose name translates to “middle section.” With a snowy climate and long winters, the agriculture of Niigata is widely seen as some of the best on the archipelago, providing clean water for crops that last for a long period of the year.
The most famous crop that benefits from this climate is rice, a grain whose significance, not just in Japan but the world, cannot be overstated. While, to many, white rice is white rice, to many gourmets in Japan, rice is taken very seriously. The rice from Joetsu in Niigata in particular is renowned, the grain of choice for many high-end restaurants or those looking to treat themselves to a special treat with their meals. Koshihikari rice is likely the most famous variation from Joetsu, with the most prized of them grown on terrace rice paddies by artisanal farmers. The rice is prized for its relatively short grain with a plump roundness. When cooked, it is slightly sticky and very pure, ideal for high-quality sushi. Rice is, of course, not a food that is meant to be overpoweringly flavorful; instead, it provides adequate balance to dishes. Joetsu rice has an amazing texture with a subtle flavor that amplifies the other sensations when eating and is beautifully fluffy when cooked due to its distinct shape.
Koshikari rice from Niigata
@flickr/ Emran Kassim
The fantastic rice crop in Niigata has many more uses, however. Niigata is a prefecture renowned for its nihonshu, better known as sake in the west. Sake is a rice wine, made similarly to other wines, but grapes are swapped for mashed rice, and a rice mold called koji is used as a fermenting agent rather than yeast. Between Niigata’s high-quality rice and soft, clean water, making good sake is a given. A majority of sake distilled in Niigata is on the drier side and, like much sake culture in Japan, has a large roster of renowned breweries that largely tailor their products to the local market. Breweries such as Hasegawa Shudo and Hakkaisan have cult-follwings throughout the country, and getting bottles in the home prefecture is a treat to indulge in. Off the coast of Niigata Prefecture, Sado Island is a famous destination, and on this nature-rich island, there are a number of historic sake breweries to also visit and sample from, including Obata Sake, Kato Shuzoten, and Hokusetsu Shuzo.
Kakurei sake by Aoki Shuzo from Niigata
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Finally, one of the most distinct foods to come out of Niigata is one often saved for special occasions. Many fans of Japanese cuisine will be familiar with soba, a noodle made out of buckwheat that is a staple of the archipelago’s diet. A look at Niigata’s hegi soba, however, shows that there’s something a bit special about it. Served in folded bunches and often taking on a rich green hue, hegi soba is a noodle dish that is easily recognizable. The soba has the same base process as standard soba, but it is mixed with something called funonori, a powder made from ground up, locally sourced seaweed. This funonori is often where hegi soba gets its distinct color from, but it also provides a more slippery and bouncy texture.
Hegi soba from Niigata
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Hegi soba is typically served on specialized trays (from which it gets its name) and then dipped into a flavorful broth called mentsuyu. Hegi soba is a specialty of the Uonuma area, where the funonori seaweed is often cultivated. For the people of Niigata, hegi soba is often eaten to commemorate special occasions like new years, but there are plenty of restaurants throughout the prefecture serving it up to try out.
Getting to and around the Hokuriku Region
The Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train allows for easy access to the prefectures of Hokuriku straight from the nation’s capital of Tokyo. The Shinkansen will go from Tokyo Station, then pass Ueno and then Omiya in Saitama before entering Nagano Prefecture, and thus, the greater Japanese Alps area. Stops like Joetsu, Toyama, Kanazawa, and Tsuruga are all major stops on this line and from Tokyo Station to the terminal Tsuruga Station takes a bit over 3 hours.
From the Kansai area, the Thunderbird Express Train can be ridden from cities like Kyoto and Shin-Osaka to Tsuruga in less than one hour, and from Tsuruga, the Hokuriku Shinkansen can be ridden, but going towards Tokyo. The National Japan Rail Pass grants access to both the Thunderbird Express Train and Hokuriku Shinkansen, as well as JR-operated transportation throughout the rest of the country. However, for those looking to make a journey to explore Hokuriku, the Osaka-Tokyo Hokuriku Arch Pass is highly recommended. For 7 days, pass users can use transportation like the aforementioned Thunderbird and Hokuriku Shinkansen to go all the way from Tokyo and Osaka, all the places in between, and back. For both of these pass options, seat reservations are complimentary.
For other transportation options, each prefecture has a dedicated airport; though, if you are opting to not travel by train or other public transportation, a car is highly recommended for getting around this more rural part of Japan.
